The Mystery of the Monster Mountain - M. V. Carey [8]
“What the…?” cried Havemeyer.
“You had a prowler,” said Jupe. He bent over the fallen photographer. “A bear.
I’m afraid Mr. Jensen is hurt!”
Chapter 4
One Bear or Two?
JOE HAVEMEYER put down his gun and knelt beside the unconscious Jensen.
“Did you see what happened?” he asked the boys.
“We saw a bear go past our tent,” said Bob. “He went around to the back of the house, and we heard the trash can go over. Then we saw a flash of light and we heard the bear yelp, and then Mr. Jensen yelled.”
Inside the inn, lights went on in every room. Cousin Anna appeared in the doorway.
“Joe? What is it?”
“Jensen,” said Joe shortly. “Tried to take a flash photo of a bear and got belted.
We’d better get him to a doctor.”
Mr. Smathers pushed through the door behind Anna. His sparse gray hair stood on end, and he had his bathrobe on inside out.
“What seems to be the trouble?” he demanded.
Hans and Konrad followed Mr. Smathers out and came down the porch steps.
“So?” said Hans. “What is happening?”
Jensen moaned, rolled over, curled his knees to his chest, and finally managed to sit up.
Havemeyer sat down on the steps, looking very frightened and, at the same time, very relieved. “You okay?” he asked Jensen.
The photographer made a grimace and put his right hand to his neck. “Someone
… someone hit me,” he said.
“I think you’re lucky you’re still breathing in and out,” said Havemeyer. “Some people who get whopped by bears don’t survive the experience.”
Jensen got to his knees, then stood up and leaned against the wall of the inn. “I got whopped all right,” he said. He shook his head as if to clear it. “I got whopped, but not by that bear. Somebody sneaked up behind me and belted me in the neck.”
“Oh, come on now,” said Havemeyer. “It had to be the bear. You scared it with your flash bulb and it took a swipe at you. They can move fast, you know.”
“I know they can, but this one didn’t. I saw it from the window in my room, so I got my camera and came down. I was aiming at the bear when I heard someone behind me. Then the flash went off, and a second later — whammo!”
Jensen straightened and glared at Mr. Smathers, who stood on the porch beside Anna. “You!” he accused. “You and your nutty ideas about animals. You did it! What did you think? I was invading the bear’s right to privacy, or something?”
Havemeyer took Jensen by the arm. “You’re upset,” he said. “Look, we’ll get you to a doctor.”
“I don’t want a doctor. I want the police!”
“Mr. Jensen.” Jupe stepped forward. “There could have been a second bear. We were here just after you shouted. There was a bear running away up the ski slope, and there was also the noise of something crashing through the trees over there.”
“I was not hit by a bear!” insisted Jensen. He shot an angry look at Mr. Smathers.
“I am not in the habit of striking my fellow creatures,” said Smathers primly.
“Also, I could not possibly have struck you. I was in bed. Ask Mrs. Havemeyer. She was in the hall when I came out of my room.”
Anna nodded. “That is right, Mr. Jensen. I heard a noise and put on my robe. I was at the top of the stairs when Mr. Smathers opened his door.”
“It happened too fast,” said Havemeyer soothingly. “You couldn’t possibly remember it exactly. Not after being hit on the head.”
“The neck,” said Jensen stubbornly. “I got it in the neck. A rabbit punch. Since when do bears hand out rabbit punches ?”
“Come in and we’ll call the doctor,” coaxed Havemeyer. He spoke as one would speak to an angry child.
“I don’t want a doctor!” shouted Jensen. “Call the police. There’s a criminal roaming around here assaulting innocent people.”
“Innocent people should be in their beds at this hour of night,” said Mr. Smathers,
“not scaring the wits out of other creatures with their flash bulbs and their cameras.”
“My camera!” Jensen lunged at the remains of his camera. “Oh, great!”
He picked up two separate pieces and looked angrily at